icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
19 May, 2014 04:30

Libya’s ongoing violence is ‘NATO-exported democracy’

Newly intensified violence in Libya is an example of NATO-exported democracy, activist and journalist Sukant Chandan told RT. On Sunday, gunmen loyal to rogue General Khalifa Haftar attacked the Libyan parliament and announced its suspension.

RT:General Khalifa Haftar, who allegedly ordered the attacks, says that it is not a coup. Then what should we call it - attacking parliament and arresting lawmakers?

Sukant Chandan: It is democracy brought to Libya on the wings of NATO, which bombed and incinerated Libyans on behalf of itself and also on the collaborators on the ground. Mr. Haftar is an old collaborator, he ran into the arms of the CIA back in the early 1980s, having been a senior member of the Libyan army. This is what democracy looks like when it is exported by NATO and its leading powers are based in London and Washington. And also we have to zoom out and see the bigger picture, as well, because of the crisis going on in Nigeria with the terrorist movement there, which is using and abusing Islam. Even mainstream commentators are trying [to compare] what is happening in Nigeria to the fallout in Libya. Libya really was the shield of Africa - that’s what Gaddafi’s former government was called.

RT:Why do you think he is targeting radical Islamist groups, as he calls them? Does he believe he has the power to eradicate the so-called militia groups?

SC: There are many complex factors and contradictory factors at play here. First of all, Haftar is an old army man. And what has been happening in Benghazi, which hasn’t been reported in the mainstream at all, since 2011, since this pro-NATO death squad rebellion started, nearly 1,000 members of Libya’s former army, police and judiciary have been systematically assassinated in Benghazi and in the eastern region. Also, Haftar is an old CIA man, so it could be that the West, particularly the US, is using him as a trojan to just sound out what he is capable of because, perhaps your viewers will know, that the politics of Libya have become just ridiculous. But, actually the junta in Tripoli has imposed a no fly zone on Benghazi because Haftar has access to some helicopters and fighter jets, which he has been using in Benghazi. So, the situation could be the West testing out what Haftar is capable of in alliance with other death squads in Libya. And don’t forget when one leading death squad or militia that has popularity in the east stopped oil production, but then tried to sell a tanker, the Navy Seals turned up from the US and got back that ship to ensure that the oil was going in the right direction, i.e. into the coffers of London, Paris, and Washington and their primary allies in the Gulf.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

Podcasts
0:00
28:32
0:00
30:40